Which plant is most often implicated in crooked calf syndrome when ingested by cattle during early gestation?

Which plant is most often implicated in crooked calf syndrome when ingested by cattle during early gestation?

• A. Lupine
• B. Alfalfa
• C. Sorghum
• D. Nightshade

Answer: (A)

Crooked calf syndrome happens when pregnant cows ingest certain forage during the early period of fetal development, a time when the joints and nervous system are forming and fetal movement shapes how the limbs will grow. Lupine contains teratogenic alkaloids, especially anagyrine, that disrupt fetal neuromuscular development. This interference reduces fetal movement during the critical window, allowing joints and the spine to form abnormally, resulting in arthrogryposis, spinal curvature, and calves that are bent or unable to stand after birth. Because lupine exposure during early gestation is a classic and well-documented cause of these specific congenital deformities, it’s the plant most commonly implicated. Other plants listed can cause different toxic effects—such as cyanide poisoning from sorghum-sudan grasses or other issues from nightshade or alfalfa—but they are not the typical culprits for crooked calf syndrome.

Crooked calf syndrome happens when pregnant cows ingest certain forage during the early period of fetal development, a time when the joints and nervous system are forming and fetal movement shapes how the limbs will grow. Lupine contains teratogenic alkaloids, especially anagyrine, that disrupt fetal neuromuscular development. This interference reduces fetal movement during the critical window, allowing joints and the spine to form abnormally, resulting in arthrogryposis, spinal curvature, and calves that are bent or unable to stand after birth. Because lupine exposure during early gestation is a classic and well-documented cause of these specific congenital deformities, it’s the plant most commonly implicated. Other plants listed can cause different toxic effects—such as cyanide poisoning from sorghum-sudan grasses or other issues from nightshade or alfalfa—but they are not the typical culprits for crooked calf syndrome.